Ex-Saints Jenkins, Sproles: No grudges vs. old team

The Eagles last prepared to play the New Orleans Saints in January 2014, when they hosted a first-round playoff game. Worried about New Orleans' passing offense, defensive coordinator Bill Davis played the Eagles' nickel defense more than half of the game.

The Saints ran for 185 yards that night - the fifth-highest total by any team since Davis took over the Eagles defense.

Davis left the game with his mind fortified about something he saw that season. He wanted a safety versatile enough to cover like a cornerback in base defense, but also with the tackling ability required of a safety. That would allow for more defensive flexibility.

It set up the team's pursuit of a player who was on the field that day: Malcolm Jenkins. They went after an offensive star on the Saints, too.

"The game kind of put the nail in: You said, 'This is something that we have to make sure that this is who we are,' " Davis said. "Because we're a two-gap run front, you can go get those safeties that were corners."

Jenkins was a leader on the Saints defense at the time, but he was in the final season of his five years with the team. They did not want to keep him in free agency. The Saints replaced Jenkins him with Jairus Byrd, whom they made one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Eagles targeted Jenkins. Even with Byrd linked to the Eagles because of his connection with Chip Kelly from Oregon and the team's glaring need at the position, the team thought Jenkins was the better fit with their defense.

Jenkins is in his second season in Philadelphia, and their evaluation was correct. He's turned into one of the team's top performers. Jenkins is a dependable safety who has doubled as the slot cornerback this season. He makes the calls for the defensive backfield, and is considered a valuable leader in the locker room.

At 27, he has flourished in Philadelphia. He is being used the way the Saints used him in his second year with the team, when Jenkins was second-team all-pro.

"I think the [Eagles] defense is more friendly to my skill set," Jenkins said. "The production has risen since I've been here and it's a testament to the coaching and the scheme."

The Eagles' two biggest acquisitions in the 2014 offseason both came from the Saints: Jenkins and Darren Sproles. Both players left positive impressions with the Eagles' coaching staff when game-planning for the playoff game and both play key roles in Philadelphia. Neither player wanted to make the game on Sunday larger than it already is.

"I try not to make it personal," Jenkins said. "I'm not the first player to get let go by a team. And I won't be the last."

Sproles was unhappy about his exit in New Orleans, but he did not want to rehash it on Tuesday. He called this game "just another week."

"It had to end some time," Sproles said. "I'm here now. That's all I'm thinking about."

Jenkins said he does not need additional motivation for a game - especially with the plight the Eagles are in now at 1-3. If anything, his time with the Saints could help him this week. He practiced against Drew Brees and Sean Payton's system for five years.

"It's a lot of things that obviously, being there for five years and seeing the offense every day, that I have," Jenkins said. "But I'm sure they know their own tendencies. You can call out a play, but you've still got to stop it. You try not to get caught up too much on tips and alerts, but there's obviously some things I recognize. But there's thing they have on me as well - tendencies I have and things I do."

The same goes for Sproles, who is a prolific punt returner. He finished with one punt-return touchdown in three years with the Saints, and he already has three since coming to the Eagles. When asked if he thought the Saints would punt to him, Sproles remained stoic.

"We're going to see," he said.

Sproles' kick return in the fourth quarter of that Eagles-Saints playoff game in 2014 set up a game-winning field goal that ended the Eagles' season. So the Eagles saw two players they coveted as free agents, and two players they'll need if they're going to turn around this season. If it happens, it will start in the first game Jenkins and Sproles play against their former team.

"Obviously, I want to compete against them and look forward to this opportunity," Jenkins said. "But at the end of the day, we play the Saints on Sunday and we're in desperate need of a win."

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm